F1 2026 power struggle: Why the FIA is testing lower battery output in Sakhir. The FIA has asked F1 teams to reduce MGU-K battery power during the Bahrain tests.

FIA reduces battery power on 2026 engines during Bahrain test

More updates continue to emerge from Formula 1 testing in Bahrain, and the latest development once again concerns the new 2026 power units. Several drivers have complained about the excessive reliance on battery deployment, with techniques that must be refined in a short timeframe in order to avoid losing performance over a single lap, especially in qualifying simulations.

All teams and drivers have adapted to using harvesting techniques, which involve selecting a lower gear than necessary to raise engine revs and recharge the battery more quickly. Added to this is the so-called super-clipping, which consists of interrupting electric power deployment so that the MGU-K works against the engine while the driver keeps the throttle fully open, allowing the battery to recharge.

The FIA’s proposals

Precisely to counter these unusual driving and energy management behaviors, the FIA reportedly asked teams during the latest F1 Commission meeting to run with reduced MGU-K power during the Bahrain tests, as reported by The Race. The objective would be to assess how much difference a reduction in maximum MGU-K power makes in terms of the energy that needs to be recovered over the course of a lap.

Such a measure would clearly go against the spirit of the new 2026 regulations, which are built around an electrical component contributing roughly 50% of the total power output. That path therefore appears difficult to pursue, and as a result the FIA is said to have proposed an alternative modification. One option under discussion is increasing the battery’s recovery capacity through an adjusted super-clipping approach.

Under the current regulations, the MGU-K cannot operate as a generator beyond 250 kW in order to avoid excessively reducing the overall engine power. McLaren has suggested that allowing the MGU-K to operate at full capacity – estimated at around 350 kW – would eliminate the need to lift and coast in order to recharge the battery.

This is an issue the FIA is trying to resolve during the final days of testing in Bahrain. One thing is certain: there still appears to be significant uncertainty surrounding the 2026 engines, with the Formula 1 World Championship set to begin in less than two weeks.